Bob Belber remembers back in the day when Mike Tyson was making a name for himself in upstate New York and the fight game was a big deal in Albany.

“Mike Tyson grew up in our backyard,” said Belber, who has spent the last 20 years as general manager of the Times Union Center in Albany. “He fought a number of times in the Capital region and it was a situation where you had to be there. You couldn’t miss it.”

The UFC’s debut in Albany on Friday night has that kind of feel. A sellout crowd of 8,000 is expected in the downtown arena for the year’s second UFC event in the Empire State. UFC 205 was a recording-setting success at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 12, generating a record gate of $17 million and more than 20,000 fans.

Albany will host a much smaller-scale event. Instead of pay-per-view, the card can be seen on UFC Fight Pass, one of the UFC’s digital platforms. Derrick Lewis (16-4) of Houston faces Shamil Abdurakhimov (17-3) of Russia in a heavyweight main event. The winner could be a future challenger for the UFC heavyweight championship.

Belber said there has been “a big buzz” in anticipation of Friday’s card. A bill legalizing mixed martial arts was signed into law last April after several years of lobbying efforts headed by the UFC. Part of the UFC’s presentation was that it would hold events in upstate New York, including Albany, Buffalo and Rochester.

Belber supported the UFC’s effort.

“I tried to explain to the state legislators and help them understand all the favorable changes that were made to assist fighters and why I thought this sport should be legalized,” he said. “Now we’re excited about having the first UFC/MMA event in upstate New York.”

UFC cited studies showing the economic impact of hosting a card in Albany could generate anywhere from $5 million to $10 million.

“The hotel operators are saying that they’re filling up with people that are coming in from outside the market,” Belber said. “There’s going to be a very strong economic impact.”

Albany was a boxing hotbed when Tyson was rising up the heavyweight ranks. His first three professional fights were in Albany. He later had bouts in nearby Latham and Glens Falls. Belber admitted boxing hasn’t generated the same interest in the area since.

“I think until we see somebody else from the area, at least on the boxing side, who grows to be something close to that it’s going to be a little tough to get the size of crowds we used to get,” he said. “On the MMA side, however, the demand created as a result of not being legal in the state year after year has caused people to want to go out and see it for the first time.”

Belber said he hopes the Times Union Center will host two or three UFC cards per year and is open to any other MMA promotion company that wants to do business in Albany. Part of the new legislation is an increase in insurance requirements, including $1 million-per-fighter for brain trauma. The UFC seems to be the only promotional company with the ability to satisfy that language.

“I haven’t had any conversations with any other promoters trying to rent the building,” Belber said. “We would welcome that. It’s absolutely not exclusive for UFC. Anybody else who wanted to come in, we’d certainly talk to them.”